When was last time a USAF airlifter shot down?

[Fred]

I mean by enemy or adversary action: small arms, AAA, SAM, fighter, etc. Airlift; not gunship, rescue, spec ops, civilian etc.?

[hlg6016]

Don't go putting a jinx on anyone, Go knock on some wood will ya.

[bobdaley]

USAF 62-1853 Soc Trang August 1972.

Hank hanging out in West Roxbury, heading to Woods Hole in the AM.

Bob

Edited July 31, 2010 by bobdaley

[Railrunner130]

If memory serves there was an AC that was shot down in Desert Storm. Not really on topic, but close.

Wasn't there one that was shot down in South America in the 90's? Or did it just take some rounds?

[hlg6016]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't a bird shot down in South America 10 or 15 years ago? I'll be in Westy for classes at the academy in a couple of weeks.

[OEO]

Peru AF shot up one of our C-130 conducting anti-drug mission and forced to land back in 1992.

[wukong]

I believe that an AC-130 was downed in the winter of 72 by a SA-7. Sorry, misread your post.

[Skip Davenport]

I believe that an AC-130 was downed in the winter of 72 by a SA-7. Sorry, misread your post.

Not an airlifter -- SOF bird

http://airforce.americanspecialops.com/aircraft/ac-130/

[US Herk]

Not shot down, but shot up pretty good - Harley 34, MC-130H, during opening nights of OIF - bad enough to divert into Turkey (before Turkey was playing ball) with an engine shut down, no util hydraulics, and fuel leaks everywhere....

[Fred]

USAF 62-1853 Soc Trang August 1972.

Hank hanging out in West Roxbury, heading to Woods Hole in the AM.

Bob

Thanks, Bob; does that include C-17,C-5, C-141, C-123, C-7, C-xxx, etc.?

[Tony Gomez]

Peru AF shot up one of our C-130 conducting anti-drug mission and forced to land back in 1992.

More Info: Crew decided not to land after Peru AF warned of air space violation. Peru AF shot C-130 several times breaking the paratroop door window in the rear, and "sucking" the loadmaster out, killing him. The crew should have landed as ordered! I was in Panama in 92.

[bobdaley]

No C-5 C-17 or C-141 was ever shot down. I don't know about the others but I had a classmate, Buz Sawyer shot down and killed in a 123 in Nicauragua in the early 80's.

Bob

I am in Woods Hole now, matter of fact having coffee on the deck watching the boats heading to Martha's Vineyard and trying to type. Be back in Westie 1 Sept

[SamMcGowan]

There hasn't been a USAF airlift airplane shot down since Vietnam. An RAF Herk was shot down in Iraq a couple of years ago.

There were 21 airlift USAF C-130s reported as shot-down in Southeast Asia but at least two of them were probably operational losses. There has never been a MAC airplane shot down, period. In fact, even during World War II only six Air Transport Command airplanes were lost to enemy action, but they lost almost 600 to accident. There were more airlift C-130s (55) lost in Southeast Asia than any other type. There were less C-7s and C-123s somewhere in between. Without looking it up, I believe the total airlift losses in SEA was around 100. Two C-141s were lost in accidents and one C-5 was lost because of command incompetence (they sent the damn thing out on a mission with a known mechanical issue with an aft pressure door that was normally grounding. Sure enough, it blew out right after takeoff. I was in C-5s at the time. MAC gave both pilots the Air Force Cross, which I have never figured out since it's a combat award and that airplane was lost due to a mechanical issue that had not been corrected.)

[SamMcGowan]

There hasn't been a USAF airlift airplane shot down since Vietnam. An RAF Herk was shot down in Iraq a couple of years ago.

There were 21 airlift USAF C-130s reported as shot-down in Southeast Asia but at least two of them were probably operational losses. There has never been a MAC airplane shot down, period. In fact, even during World War II only six Air Transport Command airplanes were lost to enemy action, but they lost almost 600 to accident. There were more airlift C-130s (55) lost in Southeast Asia than any other type. There were less C-7s and C-123s somewhere in between. Without looking it up, I believe the total airlift losses in SEA was around 100. Two C-141s were lost in accidents and one C-5 was lost because of command incompetence (they sent the damn thing out on a mission with a known mechanical issue with an aft pressure door that was normally grounding. Sure enough, it blew out right after takeoff. I was in C-5s at the time. MAC gave both pilots the Air Force Cross, which I have never figured out since it's a combat award and that airplane was lost due to a mechanical issue that had not been corrected.)

That figure of 21 also includes a C-130E-I from Det 1, 314th TAW that was lost over North Vietnam in December, 1967. It was reported as believed to have been shot down but when the crash site was found and excavated in the 90's, it was found to have been an accident - they flew into the side of a mountain. All kinds of stories had circulated about that airplane. One Black Bird veteran that I had known in the 779th told me that he was in a barber shop at Ft. Bragg and got to talking to a Green Beanie. The guy claimed to have been on the ground at the time waiting to be picked up and saw the airplane hit by a SAM with an SF major stringing behind. So much for "eye witness"!! A couple that are listed as shot down actually made safe landings but were written-off due to resulting fires. There were a number of flare birds that suffered major battle damage but managed to land in Thailand.

[SamMcGowan]

No C-5 C-17 or C-141 was ever shot down. I don't know about the others but I had a classmate, Buz Sawyer shot down and killed in a 123 in Nicauragua in the early 80's.

Bob

I am in Woods Hole now, matter of fact having coffee on the deck watching the boats heading to Martha's Vineyard and trying to type. Be back in Westie 1 Sept

That particular C-123 was civilian, flown by a civilian crew.